When one delves into the realm of premium personal audio products that easily break the Php 30,000 mark (around 500USD), you are presented with two choices: you go full audiophile with high-end wired headphones or in-ear monitors, or premium wireless over-ear headphones meant for travel, focus on sound quality, or sport a premium build.
Sony has straddled both segments. Its most popular lineup for the wireless over-ear headphone space, the WH-1000X series, has always been a good combination of the three.
To celebrate 10 years since the first wireless model’s debut (MDR-1000X), the electronics manufacturer has released its first entry into the growing premium wireless over-ear headphone segment, the oddly named WH-1000XX “The Collexion” (which I will refer to as the 1000XX for the rest of this article). While Sony seems to have a track record for not having the best product names out there, this pair has a lot going for it.
And this starts out with a retail price of Php 36,999 and is currently on-going pre-order; these are Sony’s most expensive pair in the 1000X lineup, priced in line or even more than the likes of the Apple AirPods Max 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2, and Sennheiser Momentum 5.
Design and build
The reason you’re paying way more compared to its XM6 sibling is the materials used. The first thing you see in its somewhat elevated packaging is the new case. Inside are the headphones, a 1-meter-long 3.5mm cable, and that’s about it. No more included USB-C cables here.
It’s physically larger than the case of the XM6 and uses a relatively premium-feeling fabric material, but now integrates a handle and a magnetic clasp for easy access. The reason for the larger case is that the headphones do not fold, unlike their XM6 sibling, which comes with its own set of tradeoffs and benefits.
Travelling with the 1000XX takes up a lot of space in the bag as they don’t fold up, so you’re more inclined to wear them around your neck when not in use if bag space is a concern.
However, this also solves the Achilles’ heel of the XM6, the hinge. Previous collapsible Sony headphones would frequently break at the hinges, sometimes even as early as within a few months of ownership in the case of the XM5-generation headphones.
The 1000XX now uses a smooth-sliding and rotating stainless steel hinge with a band that runs across the top of the headband. While the adjustment mechanism isn’t as luxurious-feeling as the AirPods Max’s dampened slider, it’s a lot heftier and more reassuring to use, especially compared to previous Sony affairs.
There is extensive use of vegan leather across the headphone, applied on the entire surface of the ear cup, and it can be found on the headband and the very soft and comfy earcups. These have been reshaped as well to be physically slimmer so they don’t stick out from your head as much.
In fact, there’s not a single piece of exposed plastic on the headphone, and the buttons on the left earcup are metal, and the surround of the 3.5mm port and headphone jack are metal, too.
There’s a lot to genuinely like about the build, though; long-term durability always remains a concern. This doesn’t have any official IP rating. The soft synthetic leather is all over the headphones, which could pick up marring very easily, and while the earcups are significantly easier to remove compared to previous generations, just requiring a gentle tug and using a clip system, they’re not as easy as the idiot-proof magnetic earcups of the AirPods Max.
And while it comes in two colors—Platinum and Black, I would genuinely recommend you get it in the latter as I’ve personally seen multiple Platinum demo units get dirty or marred, with the marks being tough to remove without a cleaning product.
Comfort
From personal experience, Sony WH-1000X series headphones have been up there in terms of comfort. These weigh 320g, but you don’t feel them, unlike the AirPods Max.
Weight and clamping force are well distributed, and I have been able to wear these for at least three to four hours straight without any discomfort, but they do retain body heat a bit more than expected, so don’t expect to use these outdoors or while working out.
The earcups are deeper than the XM6, with the drivers angled in the same way that your ears naturally do for better comfort for people with large ears. Finally, the headband has a great amount of padding, and it is possible for you to fall asleep with it on.
Controls
These are typical Sony headphones in the sense that your left earcup has a dedicated power on/off button that also acts as your pairing switch, two dedicated buttons for noise cancellation/transparency, and a sound mode button for the 360 Upmix feature that produces “surround sound” for music, cinema, game, or a dedicated “ambient music” mode that simulates the audio being played from speakers in a cafe, your bedroom, or such.
As for the right side, it comes with touch controls (which can be disabled). Swipe up or down for your volume, swipe backwards for previous track, forward for next track, and double-tap the center for play/pause or to receive/end calls.
This also comes with head gestures and headphone removal detection, which allows you to pause music when you take them off or to turn them off after a while, but they don’t automatically turn on when you put the headphones on, unlike other pairs.
I personally don’t use the 360 Upmix mode as much as I thought I would, since it makes the sound very artificial and more like a gimmick, and I wish that it could be remappable to more functions. Though the Sony Sound Connect allows you to do that for double and triple presses, but only works for select apps.
Tech specs
On the surface, people might think these are very similar to the XM6’s in that they share the same QN3 audio processor, the 12 built-in microphones, and the usual suite of wireless codecs of LDAC, SBC, AAC, and LC3 (Bluetooth Low Audio).
However, the 1000XX has new angled 30mm carbon fiber drivers, the DSEE Ultimate on-board audio processing that uses AI to upscale audio from lossy sources of music like streaming or low-bitrate MP3s, and a newer Bluetooth 6.0 version. The battery life now sits at 24 hours with ANC on, six hours less than the XM6, but a respectable 32 hours with ANC off.
However, this has no USB-C audio, which is a shame considering all of its competitors have it. Sony does give you a dedicated 3.5mm audio jack for low-latency audio needs, but you have to turn the headphones on, as there is no passive (off) listening mode.
Sound and usage
While one may think that these will sound exactly the same as the XM6’s, they are noticeably different.
Sony says that the tuning focuses on bringing out more of the music, and that the mids and treble range are a lot more prominent, resulting in a warmer, more mature, and slightly wider-feeling sound compared to the consumer V-shaped audio of the XM6’s, with the same usual punchy Sony bass that you may love or hate.
However, the application allows you to tune these via a 10-band equalizer, which is a huge plus if you have time to sit down and find your ideal sound. Take note that if you use an iPhone as I do, you won’t have the best possible sound quality, as Apple devices are limited to the AAC codec, while Android devices have access to higher-quality codecs like LDAC.
As for noise cancellation, Sony headphones are top tier, but no customizable settings—just on or off. Due to the lighter clamping force, these aren’t as aggressive as the XM6’s, but they have the benefit of letting music sound more natural while ANC is on, and it doesn’t give you the same pulsating, “hollow head” effect that other pairs give you.
The transparency mode is adjustable either automatically or via different steps. It sounds a bit robotic compared to the gold standard in AirPods, but they’re great for situational awareness and casual conversations. But when using the microphones for voice calls, they are great too (at least by wireless audio standards), with clear voice quality even in noisy and windy conditions.
Just remember, sound is very subjective for headphones, so the best thing to do is to find a pair of these and give them a listen with your favorite songs.
Verdict
Because of the pricing, these can be considered a niche product that people will have to go out of their way to buy. If you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, getting AirPods Max 2s is a no-brainer simply due to their integration with the products.
But if you use multiple devices with different operating systems, then your scope broadens to include these alongside alternatives like the Sennheiser Momentum 5, the audiophile-oriented HDB 630, the travelers’ favorite in the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2, or even the Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2, if you’re willing to splurge a little more for a significantly more luxurious build.
The 1000XX is for those who love the brand, the sound quality, or the look and feel of these headphones. It offers advantages in build quality, comfort, and sound (a bit subjective) in exchange for price and portability, and is considered a fine way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the lineup.
